On first meeting, England and Empress Victoria’s House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha extended the grandest of Royal courtesies to their peculiar visitors, Prussian Crown Prince Frederick William, the Crown Princess Victoria, and their eldest son William. Extraordinary efforts had clearly been made to make the visit as comfortable as possible. This was made easier due to the presence of the Crown Princess, whose absence from England of just more than a decade had not lessened her connection with the British people by more than a degree. Her grace and genuine relief to finally be home would help warm the countless events ahead of them.
To welcome the Prussian party, Empress Victoria dispatched the free-spirited 28 year old Prince Albert Edward of Wales – young Prince Willy’s “Uncle Edward” – who was still known to Frederick William and the rest of “The Family” by his boyhood nickname, “Bertie.” With him was the Prince’s eldest son, Eddy, who was 5 – the same age as Willy. He was tall, rail thin, and wore a somewhat goofy, absent-minded grin. Also present was his second son George who, though a year younger and very boyish looking, had a sharper, more self-aware look about him. All three of the youngsters, owing to constant tutoring in how to be a good prince, looked, behaved and spoke in ways far beyond their years.
Frederick William had noted with some hurt and remorse that the Princess Alexandra of Wales – a very bitter Dane – was not present. Perhaps one cause for resentment – the recent war between England and Prussia – could be put aside, but the deeper childhood memories she harbored of the embarrassing military defeat of her country at the hands of the Prussians (and at the hands of Frederick William, personally!) could not be overcome.
The Prussian Crown Prince also had taken note that the British people were not very much in evidence along the docks SMS KronPrinz had passed, and that those longshoremen whose presence could not be avoided alternated between indifference and angry gestures. For that matter, he sensed that the Prince of Wales was hardly as sincere in his happiness as he pretended.
Prince Willy, for his part, saw only two comrades with whom he could play – two royal peers whose lives were as scripted and repressive as his own, but who would be allowed to entertain their guest in ways boys – even princes – yearn to do. After several more formal settings, during which Willy became familiar with the princely pair, they finally had an opportunity on the second afternoon to romp in the palatial gardens.
“Let us pretend we are cavalrymen, fighting the Egyptians!” Willy suggested.
“Cavalry?” Eddy said, perplexed. “Why would you want to be in the cavalry?”
“For the glory of the Empire, of course!” Willy explained. “Don’t you have royal cavalry regiments?”
Eddy pondered for a long moment. “I guess we do. But just for parades, I think.”
George jumped in. “We want to be in the Royal Navy. Forget the cavalry.”
Thinking he would impress his friends, Willy said, “My father says I can join the cavalry when I’m 16.” His chin raised a noble notch.
“That’s nothing!” George countered. “We can join the Navy when we’re 12. And we’re going to! Eh, brother?”
“Yeah!” It was that goofy grin again.
Willy’s military world had just been rocked. Twelve! That’s plenty better than waiting until 16. “Well,” Willy said, wanting it all. “Then I guess I’ll join the Navy when I’m 12, and then the cavalry when I’m 16!” Seemingly, each of them felt that was a good solution. They’d surely be bored with the navy after four years, anyway.
George climbed a tree, and shaded his eyes as if peering into the distance. “I see a pirate ship, Cap’n!”
Captain Eddy ordered them into battle – for the umpteenth time in their short lives – and soon the pirates were suffering the worst the Royal Navy could dish out. First one ship was burning, then three.
But Prince Willy soon tired of being a gunlayer on a foreign ship, no matter how well they were doing. “Now you see a fine Prussian steamer, the SMS Berlin! Kapitain Willy, at your service!”
“Bully!” said Eddy, with sincere gusto.
“Aww, I don’t want a Prussian ship,” George disagreed. “They’ll just get beat!”
“Will not!” Willy defended his honor. “These are some of the finest ships on the seas!”
The princes were sailing in dangerous waters – Willy on one side, George on the other, while Eddy seemed willing to hear both sides. But there were pirates to fight, so… “George,” the elder brother counseled carefully. “We’re all friends, here. We can use the help of a Prussian vessel.”
“They aren’t worth the wood they’re made of!”
“I say!” Willy stomped. “If our navy’s so bad, then how did we beat you?” Eddy nodded at what seemed to him a worthy point, and he contemplated on it while the others jousted.
“You didn’t beat the Royal Navy! That’s for sure. Every bloody time we met, the Prussians ran or sank!”
“George!” the elder brother shouted. “Watch your language.”
“It’s the bleedin’ truth!” George emphasized. Eddy was scandalized at his brother’s cussing which, unfortunately, he’d learned from their father.
“Well, of course! Because your navy has ten ships for every one of ours. But we gave as good as we got! And then some! And we did win the war.” Willy crossed his arms.
George’s eyes narrowed, and his finger pointed. “If you won the war, then how is it that not one Prussian soldier ever landed on the British Isles?” George’s point set Eddy to nodding again. “And why did you give up all your Pacific islands just so we’d make peace?”
Willy wasn’t sure exactly what to say to that. While he was considering, Eddy moved to make a peace of his own. “George! I say, the pirates are getting away! Pursue! Captain Willy… Pursue with us!”
More fruitful battles were indeed to be had, and the young boys, without 15 years between them, left their argument for adults to pursue. As surely they would.